Stacked dispensing containers



June 8, 1965 P. D. RAND 3,188,157

STACKED DISPENSING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 5, 1962 INVEN TOR.

PAUL fi BAND flrroewey.

; ethylene.

United States Patent 3,188,157 STACKED DISPENSING CONTAINERS Paul D. Rand, Sherman Gaks,Calif., assignor to Spatz Corporation, Venice, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Nov..5,.1 962, Ser. No. 235,455 6 Claims. ((31. 312-202) The present invention relates to containers or cases for holding materials, and more particularly to a stacked assemblage of containers capable of retainingdiiferent cosmetic materials therewithin.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved stack of containers releasably held in snug closed relation to. one another, with any selected container capable of swinging to open position with respect toany other container or containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stack of containers swivelly secured to one another and'releasably locked in closed relation to one another, in which the swivel structure and lock structure between the containers forms part of the containers themselves, obviating the need for supplementary swivel or lock elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact assembly of containers swivelly secured to one another, in which the elasticity of the containers releasably holds them in closed stacked relation and also permits any selected container to be released from the remainder of the stack for shifting to open position.

' An additional object of the invention is to providea stack of containers, which is economical to manufacture, and capable .of ready assembly in swivelled and releasably locked relation to one another. 4 v

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which maybe made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodied. Thisform is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. It will now be described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric View of a stack of dispensing containers or cases, with one container in open position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the stack tainers disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is asection taken along theline 3-3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of contaken along the line 44 on FIG. 2.'

As illustrated in the drawings, a stack of containers 11 is provided, in which the containers may be releasably locked or latched in closed relation with respect to one another, and in which the containers are swivelly assembled with respect to each other so that any selected container can be released and pivoted to an open. position with respect to the remainder of the closed stack. An

upper container 11 is adapted to close the container intmediately therebelow when in alignment therewith, with the uppermost container covered by an upper closure member or lid 12. 7

Each container 11' is a unitary structure and may be molded from an elastic plastic material, such as poly- It includes a hollow post portion 13 at one end, and an outer end wall 14 at its opposite end, this outer end wall merging into opposed side walls 15 tapering toward one another and converging into the hollow' p'ostportion 13. An inner end wall 16 extends between and is integral with the side walls 15 adjacent to the post 3,l88,l57 Patented June 8, 1965 Ce ,v

ber or cavity 18 therewith adapted to receivematelial, which may, for example, be cosmetic materials. For example, the chamber 18 of one container 11 may receive face powder, another container cream rouge, a third container'eyeshadow crayons, and the other containers in the stack any suitable materials.

axis of the hollow post portion. Extending'upwardly from the upper horizontal plane of each container, which includes the upper ends of the side and end walls 15, 14 is a pin portion 24 of the hollow post 13. This pin portion has an externally tapered end surface 25 converging in an. upward direction and a lower tapered inner surface.

26 converging in a downward direction. The pin portion 24 is so dimensioned as to be companion to the counterbore or socket 20' of a container 11 or closure member 12 immediately thereabove.

l The outer end wall 14 of each container is provided with part of a releasable lock device for releasably securing adjacent containers to each other. As shown, the

outer end wall has an upwardly projecting, centrally dis-- posed projection or protuberance 27, the sides 28 of which taper toward each other. The bottom and outer end walls .17, 14 also have acentrally located recess 29 companion to this projection 27 and of substantially the same dimen sions, so that an uppercentral protuberance 27 on one container 11 can fit within a companion recess 29 in the container immediately thereabove.

The containers 11 can be assembled to one another because of the-elasticity of the material of which they are made. Thus, the pin portion 24 of one container can be forced into the socket portion '20 of a container there above, the pin'portion contracting inwardly to some extent and the socket portion expanding outwardly to some extent, until the pin portion is disposed fully within the socket portion, whereupon the material reassumes its initial shape, with the tapered end Wall 21 of the socket or counterbore 20 engaging and underlying the tapered inner side wall or surface 26 of the pin portion, and with the tapered inner side 22 of the socket contiguous the'end tapered side 25 of the pin. Because of the'coengageable and overlapping tapered surfaces 21, 26 and 22, 25, the

containers 11 are prevented from moving axially with respect to one another, but they can swivel or swingwith respect to one another, the pin portion 24 turning relatively within its companion counter-bore or socket portion 20 of the container thereabove. Y 1

When the pin 2 4 is disposed within the socket 20, and when a pair of adjacent containers 11, 11 are in alignment with one another, the protuberance 27 on a lower container is disposed substantially fully within the recess 29 of the container thereabove, releasably locking or holding the upper and lower containers'll, 11 in aligned and snug relation with one another, the bottom 17 of an upper container engaging the upper ends of the side and end walls 15, 14 of a lower container to close its chamber or cavity18; v

The tapered end 25 of the pin portion facilitates insertion of the pin portion into a socket portion 20, camming or stretching the socket material outwardly, the" pin portion also being forced inwardly. The making of the post portion hollow or tubular reduces the resistance I portion, the inner and outer end walls 16, 14 and side-walls to inward compression or deformation of the pin por- 15 being integral with a bottom 17, and forming a chamtion. The extent of deflection or deformation of the pin portion and socket portion is insufficient to exceed the elastic limit of the material of which the containers are made, so that the pin portion and companion socket portion will return to their initial shapes, following full insertion of the former in the latter, to provide an interlocking swivel between the parts. The uppermost container 11 can be covered by the closure member 12 which has a top 30 and a lower counterbore or socket portion 20a, substantially the same as a counterbore or socket 20 of a container 11, adapted to receive the pin portion 24 of the uppermost container.' The closure member 12 has side walls '31. converging toward its socket portion 29a which merge into an outer end wall 32. The side walls 31, end wall 32, and socket portion 20a depend from the top 30 of the closure member and have the same perimetric shape as the underlying post portion 13, sides 15 and end wall 14 of the container therebelow. The end wall 32 of the closure member 12 also has a central recess 29a to receive the upwardly extending protuberance 27 of the container 11 immediately therebelow.

Any number of containers 11 may be stacked upon one another, being releasably locked in closed, stacked relation with respect to one another by the reception of the protuberance 27 of each container in the recess 29 of the container immediately thereabove. The uppermost container is closed by the cover or lid 12, being held downwardly upon it with its recess 29a receiving the lock protuberance 27 of the container immediately therebelow. If it is desired to gain access to the cavity or chamber 18 of any container, a lateral pressure is exerted upon such container, preferably adjacent to its outer end' wall 14 for maximum leverage. The elasticity of the material will cause the containers above and below the one against which the pressure is exerted to deflect upwardly and downwardly from such container sufficiently so that the tapered projection 27 of the container is cammed out of the companion recess 29 of the container thereabove, the projection 27 of the container therebelow being cammed outwardly from the recess 29 of the selected container that is to be swung to open position. In this manner, the selected container 11 is released from the stack and can be swung laterally with respect to the containers above and below it by virtue of the pivoting of its pin portion 24 in an upper socket 20 and of its socket portion 20 on the pin 24 therebelow. The selected container can be pivoted to an open position as far as desired, such as disclosed in FIG. 1, for example.

After suitable material has been placed within or removed from the cavity or chamber 18 of the selected container, the latter can be swung back to closed position and relocked in place, all containers springing back to their initial positions.

If access is desired to the uppermost container, a

lateral force imposed on the closure member 12 will cause the underlying protuberance 27 to cam it upwardly free from such protuberance, allowing the closure member to be swung to an open position with respect to the uppermost container. The elasticity of the material of which the closure member 12 is made will permit its defiection sufliciently to insure release of the underlying protuberance 27 from its locking recess 29a. When the uppermost container is again to be covered, the closure member 12 is swung back to its closed position, the protuberance 27 of the uppermost container again snapping into the recess 29a of the closure member to hold it in snug relation to the upper container, closing the chamber 18 of the latter.

If only one container 11 is to be used, the closure member 12 can be swivelly assembled thereon and shifted to an open position whenever access to the cavity 18 is desired, whereupon the closure member is returned to its closed position over such container.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that a stack 10 of containers have been provided which can be swivelly secured to one another without the need for any 7 4 supplementary elements. The containers can be releasably locked to one another in snug closed relation without the necessity for any supplementary lock elements. The interior of any container can be made accessible at any timemerely by exerting lateral pressure thereon, which will vertically deflectthe stack of containers sufficiently to allow the protuberance and recess of the selected container to be' freed from the companion recess and protuberance of the containers thereabove and therebelow. In the case of the closure member, it can be shifted to open position by elastic deformation of its material sufficiently to enable the protuberance of the uppermost container to release from the recess of the closure member, the latter then springing back' to its initial shape. Each container 11, as well as the closure member 12, can be manufactured economically, as by injection molding. Any desired number of containers are capable of assembly to one another simply by snapping the pin portion 24 of one container into the socket portion 20 of an adjacent container. is readily snapped into the companion socket 29a of the closure member 12.

I claim:

1. In combination: a plurality of containers arranged in stacked relation and each having a chamber thereadjacent container, an upper container being adapted to be placed in contiguous alignment with a lower container to close the chamber of said lower container, said pin portion having a maximum unrestricted outside diameter greater than the minimum unrestricted inside diameter of said socket portion to permit insertion of said pin portion in said socket portion as a result of deflection of said pin portion and socket portion, whereuponreturn of said portions to their original shapes retains said pin portion in said socket portion and prevents relative axial movement between said pin portion and socket portion; releasable lock means between adjacent C011? tainers opposite said pin portion and socket portion comprising a protuberance on and integral with one container disposed within a recess of an adjacent container to releasably hold an upper container in closed position over a lower container, said protuberance being removed from said recess to release said lock means by axially deflecting one of said containers at said protuberance relative to an adjacent container.

2. In combination: an integral container member of elastic material having a chamber therein; an integral closure member of elastic material adapted to be disposed over said chamber to close the same; one of said members having a single pin portion disposed within a single socket portion in the other of said members to provide a swivel between said members to permit said closure member to turn about the axis of said pin portion and socket portion, said pin portion having a maximum unrestricted outside diameter greater than the minimum unrestricted inside diameter of said socket portion to permit insertion of said pin portion in said socket portion as a result of deflection of said portions, whereupon return of said portions to their original shapes retains said pin portion in said socket portion and prevents relative axial movement between said pin portion and socket portion; and releasable lock means between said members opposite said pin portion and socket portion comprising a protuberance on one member disposed within a recess of said othermember to releasably hold said closure member in closed position over said container, said protuberance being removed from said recess to release said lock means by axially deflecting one of said members at said protuberance relative to said other member.

3. In combination: a plurality of containers arranged The pin 24 of an uppermost container in stacked relation, each container being an integral structure of elastic material and having a chamber therein and a single hollow post, an upper container being adapted to be placed in contiguous alignment with a lower container to close the chamber of said lower container, said post comprising a socket portion at one end thereof and a pin portion at the opposite end thereof; the socket portion of one container receiving the pin portion of an adjacent container to provide a swivel between adjacent containers permitting said containers to turn about the axis of their respective hollow posts; said pin portion having a maximum unrestricted outside diameter greater than the minimum unrestricted inside diameter of said socket portion to permit insertion of said pin portion in said socket portion as a result of deflection of said portions, said pin portion and socket portion of adjacent containers having interlocking means thereon to hold said adjacent containers in assembled relation.

4-. In combination: a plurality of containers arranged in stacked relation, each container being an integral structure of elastic material and having a chamber therein and a single hollow post, said post comprising a socket portion at one end thereof and a pin portion at the opposite end thereof; the socket portion of one container receiving the pin portion of an adjacent container-to provide a swivel between adjacent containers permitting said containers to turn about the axis of their respective hollow posts; said pin portion having a maximum unrestricted outside diameter greater than the minimum unrestricted inside diameter of said socket portion to permit insertion of said pin portion in said socket portion as a result of deflection of said portions, said pin portion and socket portion of adjacent containers having interlocking means thereon to hold said adjacent containers in assembled relation and prevent relative axial movement between said pin portion and socket portion; and releasable l-ock means between adjacent containers opposite said pin portion and socket portion comprising a protuberance on one container disposed within a recess of an adjacent container to releasably hold an upper container in closed position over a lower container, said protuberance being removed from said recess to release said lock means by axially deflecting one of said containers at said protuberance relative to an adjacent container.

5. In combination: a plurality of containers arranged in stacked relation, each container being an integral structure of elastic material and having a chamber therein and a single hollow post, an upper container being adapted to be placed in contiguous alignment with a lower container to close the chamber of said lower con tainer, said post comprising a socket portion at one end thereof and a pin portion at the opposite end thereof, said socket portion having a tapered end wall converging in a direction outwardly of said socket portion and a tapered inner wall converging in a direction inwardly of said socket portion, said pin portion having a tapered end surface conforming to said tapered inner wall of said socket, said pin portion having another tapered surface conforming to said end wall, whereby forcing of said pin portion in said socket portion deflects said portions to permit full assembly or" said pin portion in said socket and overlapping of said socket end wall with the inner tapered surface of said pin portion to hold said adjacent containers in assembled relation and to provide a swivel between adjacent containers permitting said containers to turn about the axis of their respective hollow posts.

6. In combination: a plurality of containers arranged in stacked relation, each container being an integral structure of elastic material and having a chamber therein and a single hollow post, an upper container being adapted to be placed in contiguous alignment with a lower container to close the chamber of said lower container, said post comprising a socket portion at one end thereof and a pin portion at the opposite end thereof, said socket portion having a tapered end wall converging in a direction outwardly of said socket portion and a tapered inner wall converging in a direction inwardly of said socket portion, said pin portion having a tapered end surface conforming to said tapered inner wall of said socket, said pin portion having another tapered surface conforming to said end wall, whereby forcing of said pin portion in said socket portion defiects said portions to permit full assembly of said pin portion in said socket and overlapping of said socket end wall with the inner tapered surface of said pin portion to hold said adjacent containers in assembled relation and to provide a swivel between adjacent containers permitting said containers to turn about the axis of their respective hollow posts and to prevent relative axial movement between said pin portion and socket portion; and releasable iock means between adjacent containers opposite said pin portion and socket portion comprising a protuberance on one container disposed within a recess in an adjacent container to releasably hold said containers in said contiguous alignment, said protuberance being removed from said recess to release said lock means by axially deflecting one of said containers at said protuberance relative to an adjacent container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,306 2/ 18 Glanton 3l2201 2,396,932 3/46 Slaton 312-201 X 2,582,421 1/52 Essman 312--201 2,714,269 8/55 Charles 24--116.1 X 3,003,839 10/61 Bloom 31211l V FOREIGN PATENTS 66,181 2/45 Denmark.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS ARRANGED IN STACKED RELATION AND EACH HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN; EACH CONTAINER BEING AN INTEGRAL STRUCTURE OF ELASTIC MATERIAL; A SWIVEL INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT CONTAINERS, SAID SWIVEL COMPRISING A SINGLE PIN PORTION OF ONE CONTAINER DISPOSED WITHIN A SINGLE SOCKET PORTION OF AN ADJACENT CONTAINER, AN UPPER CONTAINER BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED IN CONTIGUOUS ALIGNMENT WITH A LOWER CONTAINER TO CLOSE THE CHAMBER OF SAID LOWER CONTAINER, SAID PIN PORTION HAVING A MAXIMUM UNRESTRICTED OUTSIDE DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE MINIMUM UNRESTRICTED INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID SOCKET PORTION TO PERMIT INSERTION OF SAID PIN PORTION IN SAID SOCKET PORTION AS A RESULT OF DEFLECTION OF SAID PIN PORTION AND SOCKET PORTION, WHEREUPON RETURN OF SAID PORTIONS TO THEIR ORIGINAL SHAPES RETAINS SAID PIN PORTION IN SAID SOCKET PORTION AND PREVENTS RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID PIN PORTION AND SOCKET PORTION; RELEASABLE LOCK MEANS BETWEEN ADJACENT CONTAINERS OPPOSITE SAID PIN PORTION AND SOCKET PORTION COMPRISING A PROTUBERANCE ON AND INTEGRAL WITH ONE CONTAINER DISPOSED WITHIN A RECESS OF AN ADJACENT CONTAINER TO RELEASABLY HOLD AN UPPER CONTAINER IN CLOSED POSITION OVER A LOWER CONTAINER, SAID PROTUBERANCE BEING REMOVED FROM SAID RECESS TO RELEASE SAID LOCK MEANS BY AXIALLY DEFLECTING ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS AT SAID PROTUBERANCE RELATIVE TO AN ADJACENT CONTAINER. 